"The Great Wizard Berens"

In the Slytherin Common Room, students had already gathered to watch the spectacle.

"Isn't that Chandelier Selwyn?" some students jeered. They were pure-bloods too, so they weren't afraid of Selwyn coming after them.

Chandelier Selwyn had already made quite a name for himself. After all, not everyone spent their first night at Hogwarts hanging from a lamp in the common room.

Ivan Selwyn and Auburn Nott flushed. They were "nobles" who cared deeply about appearances.

"Looks like they brought a whole crowd to deal with that Ravenclaw spy," someone said, sizing up the situation at a glance.

Malfoy stood among the crowd with his two lackeys behind him, studying Will with curiosity. He had heard about Will hanging his classmates from a chandelier, but Will didn't interest him much.

As far as he was concerned, the only heroes worth talking about were Harry and Draco. Everyone else was just there to make them look good. Harry Potter didn't seem very willing to accept his goodwill, though, and Draco had spent the last two days watching him.

Seeing so many people led by Yaxley gang up on Will, Malfoy curled his lip. "Outnumbering an opponent? Hardly noble behavior."

If it were him, he would take the boy down alone. He wouldn't even need Goyle or Crabbe.

"Hmph. They disgraced their families the moment that Muggle-born boy hung them from the lamp," someone replied, sounding just as disdainful.

"Good. Let those Muggle-borns learn that nobles aren't to be crossed."

"Isn't that Yaxley from third year? Getting involved in a first-year dispute and picking on someone younger—doesn't he have any shame?"

"Hey, the Yaxley Family and the Selwyn family are close. There's nothing wrong with him standing up for Selwyn."

"Selwyn's useless, though. Imagine losing to a Muggle-born first-year."

Most of those speaking came from wizarding households or pure-blood families. Muggle-born students had little say in Slytherin and were usually pushed aside. Their backgrounds and abilities counted against them, and there weren't many of them to begin with.

Yaxley's expression darkened as he listened to the chatter.

"Boy, magic takes more than talk. I only offered you this chance because you managed to beat them." Yaxley pulled out his wand, his face grim. "Since you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

Will suspected the guy had never fought a proper duel. What was the point of all that bluster? Only whoever was left standing would have the right to speak.

He simply raised his wand and aimed it at Yaxley. There was no fear or tension in his silver-gray eyes. Yaxley could have sworn he saw mockery in them.

"Then I'll have to teach you a lesson, Mudblood! Stupefy!"

Yaxley swung his wand, sending a spell at Will.

Will neither dodged nor ducked. Stupefy came straight at him.

"The boy's frozen in fear!"

"Yaxley's a third-year. That kid's done for!"

"Show that Mudblood his place!" Selwyn and his friends shouted.

Sylvia anxiously called for Will to dodge. "Move, Will!"

"Protego!" A faint magical shield appeared around Will.

"Useless. With a first-year's level of magic, his Shield Charm might as well be paper. Thinking it'll stop Yaxley's Stunning Spell is a joke," an older student commented.

Stupefy struck Will head-on. Everyone watching thought that would be the end of the fight—

But Will only swayed slightly. Then he grinned at Yaxley. "Not a bad attack."

[You experienced a spell attack firsthand. Because it was blocked, your experience was incomplete. Charms experience +2]

Was Will an idiot for not dodging? Of course not. He was running an experiment.

He had tried casting a Stunning Spell on himself before, but the results had been poor. Afterward, he had recalled one of the rules governing this world: a spell's power depended on the caster's magic, emotions, state of mind, and thoughts.

Professor Moody, while Barty Crouch Jr. was impersonating him, had once said in class that casting the Killing Curse required enough magic to back it up. A wizard's extreme emotions affected the power of dark spells. Casting the Patronus Charm required a happy memory.

The professors at Hogwarts emphasized the right state of mind when teaching spells, while Dumbledore had spoken repeatedly of "the magic of love."

Will found it hard to muster any real hostility toward himself. That wouldn't make him a genius; it would make him unhinged. He needed someone else to help with his experiment, and Yaxley made an excellent test subject.

As for the Shield Charm, it was one of the spells he knew best. He had understood the importance of defensive magic like the Shield Charm as soon as he first encountered magic, so he had spent years practicing it. A substantial share of his level 4 Charms experience had come from grinding the Shield Charm. By now, he could barely gain any experience from reading about it or casting it over and over.

Back to the fight: everyone was stunned to see Will take Stupefy head-on without any apparent effect. His skill far exceeded what they had imagined.

The mocking smile on Will's face made Yaxley's cheek twitch. Being humiliated like this by a Muggle-born first-year infuriated him.

"Avis! Expelliarmus!" Yaxley fired off two spells in quick succession.

This time, Will didn't stand still and defend. He sprang sideways, dodging the Expelliarmus hidden among the birds, then pointed his wand. "Incendio!"

A broad sweep of flames wiped out the birds, filling the common room with heat. Will didn't stop. "Expelliarmus! Stupefy! Petrificus Totalus!"

Three spells came in succession. Yaxley was about to dodge when two bits of grass at his feet suddenly transformed into black snakes and bound his legs tight. Caught off guard, he fell to the floor. The Petrificus Totalus, deliberately aimed low, struck him squarely, leaving him rigid where he lay.

In mere seconds, Will had defeated Yaxley. Ivan Selwyn and Auburn Nott looked alarmed. They had never expected the help they'd brought to go down so easily.

"Everyone together! Don't be afraid—there's only one of him!" Selwyn gritted his teeth. Seven or eight students raised their wands at once. Will narrowed his eyes. "Confringo!"

Boom! A violent explosion erupted in the middle of the group. The shock wave left the young wizards' ears ringing. Seven or eight of them went down at once, some of their wands flying several yards away.

The students nearby covered their ears and drew sharp breaths. Draco Malfoy's jaw had dropped. He now admitted that this Muggle-born was strong. He would need Goyle and Crabbe with him to stand a chance.

The way many students looked at Will changed. For a first-year, his skill was monstrous. Plenty of third-years would struggle to cast those spells so smoothly, let alone use Transfiguration while casting. And then he had finished with Confringo, a dangerous advanced spell.

The students backed away from Will. He was simply too dangerous.

After all, Peter Pettigrew, recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class, had died in a Confringo explosion—along with twelve Muggles!

What kind of talent was this?!

[You have used spells repeatedly. You have grown more proficient with a spell. Charms experience +1]

[You have used spells repeatedly. You have grown more proficient with a spell. Charms experience +1]

[You have used spells repeatedly. You have grown more proficient with a spell. Charms experience +1]

Will frowned slightly. He had gained only five experience points from all that. Hardly worth it.

Still, judging by everyone's reactions, he had achieved his goal. They probably wouldn't bother him again. Maybe now he could enjoy a peaceful school life.

Just then—

"Will Berens! What have you done?" An angry roar came from the common room entrance. Will turned and saw the greasy-haired bat, his face dark with anger.

The Slytherin students scattered at once.

"This wasn't Will's fault, Professor. They started—" Sylvia tried to explain, but Snape cut her off.

"Miss Lestrange, this has nothing to do with you! Why don't you step aside and let me question Berens?" Snape's face was grim and his voice sharp. "Or indulge that inexplicable compassion of yours and have someone take these poor wretches to Madam Pomfrey."

The hem of Snape's black robes swept across the floor, casting a stark shadow. "As for you, Mr. Berens, great wizard that you are."

He turned toward the corridor, his black robes tracing a dark arc behind him. "My office is the third room in the West Tower of the Castle."